Hardy Har Har

Back when I taught Survey of British Literature, we'd be hitting Thomas Hardy right about now, hitting him the way the Titanic hit the iceberg.

(pause for laughter)

(pause for awkward silence broken only by the sound of chirping crickets)

Of course, one of the poems we discussed was "Convergence of the Twain," because it gave me the opportunity to speak disparagingly of "Leonardo DiCrappio" (who, I must admit," is actually pretty good, even if I don't like most of the movies he winds up in).

I would always ask them what "convergence" meant, and what "twain" meant, and then suggested that if they found poetry difficult they might begin by trying to understand what the WORDS IN THE TITLE mean.

A convergence is things coming together, you see (Mike--no.), and "twain" means two things, so it's two things coming together, like two twains on the same twack.

Two ... twains ... on the same ... twack.

Q: How come it's funny when Leno and Letterman repeat their bad punch lines during their monologues?

A: It isn't.